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As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to express gratitude to the nation’s farmer’s markets for bringing locally-grown, fresh food to town.

Much of the food is produced organically, even if it’s not certified organic. Growing without pesticides is vital for public health and for the environment.

Now that winter is upon us and the leaves are almost gone, there’s only one more chance to buy direct from the farmer in Boulder, Colorado, my home town. After the third Saturday in November, the Boulder County Farmer’s Market is closed for the season.

But oh, how warmly I remember the bounty of this summer. The heirloom tomatoes, the ears of Peaches-and-Cream sweet corn, the gladiolas and sunflowers, the multi-colored carrots, the cucumbers, the Western Slope peaches that we ate by the bushelful!

I thought I’d share a few photos from September’s colorful harvest at the Boulder Farmer’s Market, held in downtown Boulder (on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons):

Thank you, farmers, for continuing to supply us with fresh, healthy food against the odds. And for reminding us what a variety of foods can be grown with a short distance of our homes—or even in our back yards. May your family farms prosper.

Renewed interest in local foods has coined the word “locavore”: someone who eats locally produced, in-season foods whenever possible. Why go to the extra effort to become a locavore and buy from farmer’s markets and eat local? FoodRoutes.org cites several important reasons.

I’m also grateful that farmer’s markets create community. I never go when I don’t bump into a friend—and we compare the goodies we tuck into our shopping bags. The whole market feels a little like a festival—complete with fresh-made local foods from local restaurants.

This Thanksgiving, may we remember where our food comes from, may we support sustainable agriculture, and may we work to end hunger in our own home towns.

Performed in the Mary Rippon Theatre (a lovely outdoor stage) on the University of Colorado campus, the plays are always quite wonderfully produced, and they are ably performed by a troupe of professional actors.

I personally believe that nothing beats the raw excitement of seeing live theatre under the stars, especially on a warm summer night.

(Yes, there are nights where it rains, and the audience huddles indoors waiting for the weather to clear. It usually does, and the show continues where it left off.)

The crowd gets ready for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s 2010 production of "King Lear," set in the 1890s wild West.

I have a special connection with Boulder’s Colorado Shakespeare Festival: For 25 consecutive summers, my wind ensemble, called the Falstaff Trio (flute, clarinet and bassoon), has performed for the Green Shows before the plays.

Green Shows are the entertainment for picnickers on the lawn before the show. We musicians get “paid” in tickets to the performances.

Pre-show picnicking is another special memory. Over the years on nights that I’m attending a performance, friends and I have spread our blanket under the trees and dined al fresco while listening to other musicians. Or we’ve listened in on theatre conversations: a costumed actor portraying Will Shakespeare wanders the grounds chatting with picnickers about the play they’re about to see.

Sharing fresh summer dishes and a bottle of wine is a timeless ritual—and sometimes our Shakespeare festival is the only time in the busy summer that we haul out the picnic basket.

(Picnic tips: If you don’t have time to prepare food, the Festival sells boxed dinners on-site. And, it’s fun to save dessert for intermission.)

A recorder player with the Boulder Renaissance Consort entertains at 2010 Green Show.

Over the decades, I’ve seen so many wonderful plays by the Bard; the Festival also produces some non-Shakespeare plays each season, such as 2009’s excellent To Kill a Mockingbird.

With great affection I look back at all those Macbeths, Romeo and Juliets, Twelfth Nights, Hamlets and Midsummer Night’s Dreams. The plays that are rarely done get produced too, though less often: I still fondly remember Coriolanus (1995) and Much Ado About Nothing (1997) as among the best productions I’ve seen.

Then there are fun quirks, such as the night a family of raccoons walked across the building gutters right behind the stage. Talk about stealing the show! We audience members were pointing at Momma and her four little ones as they ambled through a scene.

Long live the works of Shakespeare, and long live the Colorado Shakespeare Festival!

Before I got behind the wheel, however, our group of journalists heard about how Ford is incorporating “biomaterials” into their vehicles, including soybean-oil seat foam (instead of petroleum foam). They’re also adding natural fibers (wheat straw, hemp) into some plastic parts; the fiber fillers make the plastic lighter, reducing the car’s overall weight, which in turn saves on gas.

Next, we prepped for the “Ford Fuel-Efficiency Challenge” by reviewing Ford’s eco-driving tips. (These apply to driving any vehicle, not just hybrids.)

Watch your speed and avoid pumping the accelerator.

Accelerate and brake smoothly to conserve fuel.

No idling. Engines today don’t need a pre-drive warm-up.

Keep tires properly inflated for best mileage.

Travel light by removing excess weight from the vehicle.

Minimize use of heating and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine.

Close windows at high speed.

We then split into two teams of three people, each with a Fusion Hybrid. As my team’s driver, I turned the key in the ignition. And nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing. Then it dawned on me that the car was actually running—there was just no revving engine sound that we’re used to. An honest mistake, but I still felt pretty silly.

My drive up to the mountain town of Nederland (20 miles away) went more smoothly. The Fusion Hybrid handled nicely and was comfortable to sit in. All the controls were easy to see, but I left it to my friend in the passenger seat to keep an eye on our fuel-use rating while I watched the road.

And the Winner Is: Planet Earth

After both teams arrived back at the Green House after a mountain picnic, the Ford folks checked our mileage—the car displays this info for every trip—and we were the winners! We clocked in at 46 miles per gallon.

What tipped the balance? I like to think it was my feather-light accelerator foot, but the other team admitted they ran the air conditioner. (They got 41 miles per gallon, I believe.)

Going Electric

The Focus Electric uses no gas and gets 100 miles per charge.

Next, we each got a chance to drive around the neighborhood in the prototype of the Ford all-electric Focus, which had been plugged into the outlet in the garage all morning. (A full recharge is supposed to take 6 to 8 hours with a 240-volt charge station. It can also be recharged in 12+ hours with a 120-volt cord set into conventional outlets. When fully charged, Focus Electric will drive 100 miles before you juice it up with electricity.)

I slid into the jazzy orange car, pressed the “on” button (no key necessary) and away we went. I expected something radically different, but honestly, it drives and feels like any other car. However, the only sound the Focus makes is the whirring of the tires on the road.

The emphasis during my stay at the SpringLeaf eco-development’s Green House in Boulder, Colo., was “smart living.” Although the house came with all the eco-bells and green whistles and was stocked with natural foods and products, I learned a lot about how you can make your own house greener without embarking on a pricey remodel or overhaul.

Here are some cool ideas for green living, room-by-room.

Bedroom

I loved the organic bedroom I stayed in. The natural wool carpet was soft under bare feet—and there was no toxic glue smell (thanks to the low-VOC glue) that normally gives me a headache.

The wool pillow from Suite Sleep was soft and supportive.

I slept wonderfully on a natural latex and wool mattress from Urban Mattress, a Colorado company. Completing the bed were healthy linens from a Boulder company called Suite Sleep. It included an organic-cotton mattress pad, sheets (colored with low-impact dyes), a comfy wool-stuffed pillow with organic-cotton cover, and a wool-fill comforter that was light and perfect for Colorado’s cool nights.

The wool in the bed was Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, meaning it was taken from humanely treated sheep and cleaned with mild, biodegradable soap (as opposed to harsh, caustic chemical detergents).

Bathroom

Plush organic-cotton towels were furnished by Suite Sleep, and Burt’s Bees, provided all the soaps, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, lip balm and facial cream. Burt’s Bees is a natural skin-care company that incorporates natural beeswax or honey into all its products.

All-natural products from Burt's Bees

The dual-flush Kohler toilet can save an average household approximately 2,000 gallons of water each year. Low-flow showerheads and faucets also reduce water waste.

To keep that water clean, without chlorine taste, 3M Clean Water Solutions installed under-the-counter Full Flow water filter. Boulder’s water is fairly clean to begin with, but it’s nice brushing your teeth with water that tastes fresh and clear.

I especially loved the sink backsplash (also repeated in the shower), made of recycled-windshield glass. The glass was polished, and it’s faintly green tint and pebbly look added a decorative and eco-friendly touch.

Hiking in Boulder and Movie Night

We had a busy day learning about sustainability, but it was fun. For instance, we got out and explored Boulder’s Wonderland Lake trails in Adrenaline ASR7 athletic shoes from Brooks. These lightweight runners have some great green features, including:

biodegradable midsole

laces made from 100 percent recycled materials

water-based adhesives

nontoxic dyes and colorants

packaging is 100 percent post-consumer recycled

For Movie Night, we watched a 3-D documentary on LG's LED television.

Then, after dinner we had Movie Night. First we screened Dive!, a thought-provoking yet humorous documentary about the problem of wasted food that winds up in the landfill. It follows filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’ supermarkets.

Next we donned 3-D glasses and put the LG Energy Star LED “Infinia” television with 3-D technology to the test with IMAX Under the Sea 3-D. The picture was clear and realistic, especially when those fish swim straight at you. And the screen was huge, yet slim. The wattage it uses is less than half that of a picture-tube TV.

Cleaning Day

Yes, we journalists had to do a few household chores, just to keep it real. At the end of the trip, we brought our sheets and towels to the laundry room, equipped with an LG Energy Star front-load Steamwasher with allergen-removal capability (for those people sensitive to dust mites and dander). Using a front-loader machine uses 50 percent less water and 86 percent less energy than a top-loader.

We also experimented with the LG “Kompressor” vacuum, which is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation and holds three times the dirt of conventional vacs. And yes, it really sucks.